AN: The Epilogue! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :D

/

This is my love song to you. Let every woman know I'm yours,

so you can fall asleep each night, babe and know I'm dreaming of you more

You're always hoping that we make it. You always want to keep my gaze. Well you're the only one I see love and that's the one thing that won't change

-Safetysuit, Never Stop

/

Ten years later.

The sound of two small feet tapping against the floor as they made their way down the dim lit hallway was barely heard over the radio playing in the kitchen. Two small hands reached up for the door knob of the master bedroom. The child giggled when she managed to open the door and quietly slipped into the room. The blinds were barely open allowing just enough light into the room to see a slumbering figure on the large bed.

The small child climbed up on to the bed as quietly as she could and crawled over to where the sleeping woman lay. Brown hair was spread over the ivory pillow. The sheet was wrapped around the woman snuggly. Though she looked comfortable from away the brunette's hands were clutching the sheets tightly.

A small whimper was heard from the sleeping woman as the child moved closer to her.

"No, please stop," she whined burying her faces further into the pillow as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Startled from the sudden outburst the child jumped back and off the bed. She ran out of the room and made her way down the stairs to where the music was playing in the kitchen.

"Momma momma! Mommy is having a bad dream again!" The small three year old announced with a frown. She looked up at the tall dark haired woman with wide brown eyes, a frown curving the child's lips.

The woman who had been previously distracted with cooking knelt down to level with the little girl. She wiped away the child's tears, gently brushing back the brown curls away from her face and calmly spoke looking directly into the familiar auburn eyes.

"How about you go watch your cartoons in the living room while momma checks on your mommy so that she feels all better," she smiled at the little girl who nodded with a giggle.

"Okay, momma!" she announced with an adorable grin.

Soon after the little girl had skipped away into the living room the woman rose and quickly made her way to the master bedroom. She frowned as she heard the crying from the doorway. She wasted no time and quickly moved to sit beside the whimpering brunette. She began to gently rub the brunette's back in attempt to carefully wake her without startling her.

"Tori," Jade softly tried. "Baby wake up. It's just a dream. Wake up honey." She placed one hand on one of the young Vega's hand that had been tightly wounded around the sheets.

Tori whimpered once again, her lips curling down as she softly began to cry. "Jade," she muttered and sobbed, her head turning toward the direction of the voice.

"I'm right here baby. Wake up. Please wake up," Jade tried once more. "Come back to me, please." Jade could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes as Tori let out another whimper.

Slowly brown eyes fluttered open and met comforting azure. "Jade?" Tori asked in confusion, her voice sounded raspy from crying, her eyes wide and disoriented.

Jade reached up to wipe away the tears from the questioning auburn eyes. "I'm right here, baby," she assured her. Before she knew it, Jade had two arms wrapped around her in a smothering hug. She felt the tears against her neck before she heard the sob coming from the trembling woman in her arms.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," Jade whispered into the auburn locks. She returned the hug with just as much need. They both need the reassurance.

Tori nodded against the woman's neck, her hold relaxing with the words from Jade.

"He can't hurt you any more, Tori," Jade continued. "He can't hurt us." Tori kept her face hidden against the crook of Jade's neck.

She continued to cry in Jade's arms all while maintaining a strong hold on the woman like her life depended on it. And maybe it did. After all Jade was what kept her going. She was the only reason she managed to get through the difficult days; the days that felt like they never ended at times, the days that only seemed to feel her with nightmares and fear. The days that at times felt like they were smothering her, making it too hard to breath. Jade was her anchor, she helped her find her footing every single time. She was patient with her and gentle, always taking her time to help sooth her through the nightmares and the memories that often returned without warnings.

"Baby, please come back to me," Jade frowned.

She could feel the tears stinging in her eyes as she continued to cradle the actress in her arms, rocking her in attempt to comfort her. It felt like the singer was slipping through her fingers at times. She felt so helpless at times like these. There was absolutely nothing she could do to get rid of her wife's nightmares. She'd thought she'd get used to this by now. After all these years, it always took Tori a while to distinguish the reality from her nightmares. But even with the eleven years that had passed it would never get easy watching the woman she so desperately loved break down after a nightmare reminded her of what she'd gone through.

No, there were some things time could just not heal. It was something that would not be going to go away any time soon, the therapist had made that clear. Tori's traumas were far too gone to mend even with all the sessions she'd attended. They helped, made the nightmares less frequent but the therapist had explained that because Tori had endured so many years of abuse it was not guaranteed that nightmares would ever end. Yes the nightmares came less often, but when they did, they always left a haunting effect on the singer for a while.

"Tori please come back to me. I'm right here," Jade cooed into the muzzled brown hair. She felt the woman beneath her sniffle then slowly pull back to look up at her with red rimmed eyes.

"You're okay," Tori whispered with relief. Her hand reached up to touch Jade's cheek carefully; too afraid the woman could disappear from just the touch itself. Brown eyes relaxed when lips pressed against the inside of her palm, assuring her she was really there with her.

"Yes," Jade assured her. "I'm okay. I'm here," she angled her head to look into the auburn eyes, making sure to catch the singer's attention.

Tori smiled timidly. She cupped the woman's face and captured her lips in a desperate kiss. Jade returned the kiss with just as much desperation and assurance. Her arms hooked around Tori's waist pressing the woman as close as possible.

When they broke away they remained at enough distance to keep their foreheads leaning against one another's.

"It happened it again didn't it?" Tori frowned, her eyes looking more timid than usual.

Jade sighed with a small frown. Her blue eyes rimmed with tears gave away her true colors of concern and response to her wife's question. She stroked her thumb over the flushed cheek and smiled gently. "But you came back to me," she responded. "You always come back to me." That caused a small smile to break across the singer's face.

Tori frowned not liking the way the azure eyes looked due to their previous tears of fear. Even after all these years Jade still stuck around. She helped Tori through therapy, through school, and always through her nightmares. Seven years had passed them by, but with everything that had changed with time there was one thing Tori had learned to accept and was certain about more than ever, Jade's love would always be strong enough to get them through another day. She wasn't going anywhere. She would always be by her side, not because she felt that she had to, but because she wanted to, because she loved her.

Tori was about to speak when a small figure ran across the room.

"Mommy," the little girl ran into the room. She climbed onto the bed and swung herself toward Tori. "Are you feeling better now mommy?"

The big brown eyes stared with such curiosity and innocence Tori couldn't help but smile back.

"Momma said she'd check up on you. Did she make you feel all better?" the little girl innocently asked looking between the two grinning women.

Tori chuckled, kissing the three year old's forehead as she raised the little girl onto her lap. "Yes, sweetie your momma always makes me feel better." Tori stared up at Jade as she spoke sincerely. "We're both so lucky to have her around aren't we, Ruby," Tori asked rhetorically to the three year old and muzzled her nose against her cheek.

Ruby giggled in response looking up at Jade. "Thank you, momma," she grinned flaunting her two beautiful dimples.

Jade raised a brow eyeing her daughter curiously. "For what sweetie?"

Ruby looked up at Tori, who was watching her with just as much curiosity, and looked back at Jade who patiently waited for the little girl to answer. "For taking care of my mommy," Ruby answered with a wide grin like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jade couldn't fight the tears that rose from her daughter's innocent words. She gathered the both the three year old and the brunette in her arms, struggling to voice her words as she looked down at the two girls that meant the world to her.

Tori watched as Jade struggled to speak, tears stinging her eyes with both sincerity of the child's words and the appreciation she too held for Jade taking care of her after all those years.

Jade pressed her lips to the Ruby's temple. She leaned back to catch both pair of brown eyes as she finally managed to find her voice once more. "I will always take care of you and mommy." the corners of her eyes wrinkled as she gently smiled, taking Tori's hand and raising it to her lips silently sealing the her word. The little girl giggling as Jade's lips tickled her cheek. "I promise," she told the small brunette.

Ruby nodded with glee. She wrapped her tiny arms around Jade and Tori hugging them as tight as she could manage. "Can we have 'nana cakes, momma?" Ruby asked wriggling her way out of the women's arms.

Jade chuckled as she sat back watching as her daughter's feet dangled from the edge of the bed. She looked up at Tori, who's eyes were glued on their concentrating daughter. Ruby had made a habit of sticking her tongue out at the corner of her lips every time she was engulfed with her activities, just like the one she was attempting to do at the moment. The bed was a little too high for the small three year old to jump off.

Ruby grinned when her feet finally touched the wooden floor. She looked up at her mothers proudly, letting out a giggle at her achievement.

"Come on momma we gotta make 'nana cakes," she announced.

Jade glanced at Tori who nodded with agreement.

"Yes, momma we have to make 'nana cakes," Tori grinned.

Jade pecked the older brunette on the lips quickly before rising to her feet, her hand reaching out to help Tori up on her feet, too. Ruby's smile grew wide with excitement.

"'Nana cakes! 'Nana cakes!" Ruby cheered as she ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"She gets that from you," Jade pointed out with a chuckle and a nod of her head.

Tori shrugged with a mirroring smirk. "Guess she got the best genes from me," she winked with a knowing glint in her eyes.

And there she was, her Tori. Two could play that game. "Is that so?" Jade raised a brow, taking a step toward her smirking wife. Tori only raised a challenging brow, her smirk never faltering. Jade wrapped her arms around the smaller woman's waist and brushed her lips along the caramel colored neck.

Tori could only nod in response, her hands rising to curl around the woman's dark locks. Jade smirked against the soft skin as she continued to nip at it.

"You're right," Jade murmured. "She's just like her mommy." Tori gasped as Jade kissed below her jaw. She pulled back to meet Tori's hooded gaze, any sign of their previous taunting gone. "She's just as beautiful and smart," she whispered sincerely. Her thumb caressed the singer's cheek adoringly as she turned her head to the side, their lips barely grazing each other.

"Momma! Mommy! Let's make 'nana cakes!" Ruby called out from the stairs.

Jade groaned, her head leaning down to rest on Tori's shoulder as the brunette giggled at their daughter's timing.

"She's definitely your daughter," Jade muttered. She shook her head, grinning as she stepped back, but not before managing to still a quick kiss from Tori.

"Do you want to help me make the 'nana cakes?" Jade asked the giggling brunette.

"Of course. I'll be down in just a moment," Tori assured her. "I just have to wash up."

Jade nodded, giving her hand one final squeeze before turning to walk. "Don't take too long, Mrs. West. You know just how patient our daughter can be," Jade grinned as she turned to leave.

Tori rolled her eyes playfully and made her way to the bathroom to clean herself up. She loved how her new surname rang.

Before Ruby's birth Tori's nightmares had calmed for a good amount of measures. They happened less often than usual. After they'd discovered that Tori was expecting the nightmares stopped completely during her pregnancy. Jade and Tori were both so thankful to Beck for volunteering to be their donor. They had been married for five years when the couple had decided they wanted to start a family. Tori had been hesitant at first, as had Jade, but the feeling had quickly faded away when the idea of having a child, one that would be their own, weighted out the fear they'd felt.

When Jade had handed her the tiny girl, all hopelessness and fear that had ever existed in her heart had disappeared in that moment.

"We have a baby girl, Tori" Jade announced holding the small bundle wrapped in a blanket in her arms. "A beautiful baby girl," she grinned with tears in her eyes as she caught the exhausted brown eyes.

Tori raised a hand, signaling for the actress to hand her their baby girl. Jade carefully handed the brunette the crying baby. The crying quickly ceased once she was in Tori's arms. Brown eyes locked on wide mirroring brown. Tori smiled widely as she reached to grab one of the baby's waving hands. Her heart could have burst from all the joy she felt when tiny fingers wrapped around her finger.

Jade kissed Tori's temple, reaching to hold both her daughter's and wife's hand. "She looks just like you, Tori," she grinned. "So beautiful."

Tori could only grin with joy as she cooed at the tiny girl in her arms who watched her curiously.

"What's her name?" one of the nurses asked standing opposite of where Jade and Tori were.

"Ruby," Tori breathed with a tired smile on her lips, never once looking away from her cooing baby girl. "Her name is Ruby Victoria West," she answered the nurse as she glanced up at Jade for confirmation. Jade kissed her then.

"That's perfect," Jade agreed. "My little Ruby," she said caressing the small tender cheek of the child. As if agreeing with both her mothers the little girl let out a giggle.

During the last three years since the birth of their little Ruby the nightmares had significantly stopped. They did occur every so often, but it wasn't as bad as it had been before their little girl was born. Ruby had changed both of their life. She'd been such a great blessing in their life. Tori loved her with all her entire being. She and Jade were her world. And just like her mother, Ruby had too saved her life. She made it worth living, she gave her strength to keep fighting when the memories returned and the nightmares deprived her of sleep. The aftermath that used to linger after her nightmares no longer lingered as long as they had. The sound of her daughter's giggling helped bring her to the surface of reality, the reality that was expecting her, surely but nevertheless impatiently knowing her daughter.

"Uncle Beck is here!" Ruby announced. She jumped up and down with excitement as Jade reached to open the door Ruby had yet to reach.

"Hey! How's my favorite niece doing?" Beck greeted the three year old. He enveloped the child in a big hug as he picked her up and grinned at Jade as he entered the house.

"Uncle Beck I'm your only niece," Ruby giggled.

"Is that so?" Beck asked a baffled expression on his face. "Hmm than what am I going to do with all of these cookies?"

Ruby's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Can I have them?" she asked her wide brown eyes eying the goodie bag hungrily.

Beck chuckled. "Well I don't know. It depends what you're momma says." He glanced at Jade, and Ruby followed.

Jade furrowed her brows knowing she couldn't deny the wide brown eyes of her daughter. "Fine but don't let your mommy catch you eating them before breakfast," she sighed. She laughed when Ruby nodded enthusiastically as she took hold of the bag Beck handed her.

They both laughed as they watched the small brunette take off running with her bag leaving the adults to stand alone in the doorway. "Come on I'm making breakfast," Jade said as she returned to where she'd been previously busy preparing to make the pancakes.

"'Nana cakes?" Beck asked following.

Jade nodded. "Of course it's their favorite."

"Trina went to pick up Holly at the airport. They should be here soon," Beck informed her.

"Okay I guess I'll include them for breakfast. My dad should be here soon, too." Jade replied. "I still can't believe you and Trina actually got hitched," Jade grinned washing her hands.

Beck rolled his eyes at the woman's flat comment. "Jade just because we're best friends doesn't mean you can pick on Trina," he warned.

Jade snorted as she began to stir the ingredients. "I'm not picking on anyone, Beck. All I'm saying is that it was definitely a shocker for us."

"We've been married for three years and you're still on our case?" Beck crossed his arms, leaning against the island.

It was Jade's turn to roll her eyes. "I'm not on anyone's case. Now if you want to be of any use hand me the milk," she ordered.

Beck grinned as he opened the carton of milk and poured some into the bowl Jade held. "You know I never pictured you being so domestic like this."

Jade continued to stir the mix in the bowl. She looked down to where she had diced the bananas and back at Beck, a warm smile on her lips. "I don't think I ever saw myself going anywhere until Tori actually," she answered after a moment. "I don't think she's aware of it, but I was on fast track to nowhere without her, Beck. I didn't see myself with a future, nevertheless with a family. But after we got together all I knew was that I wanted a future with her in it. This," she looked around. "All of this is because of her. She and Ruby are my world," she smiled.

"You both saved each other," Beck added. "I'm really proud of you both," he grinned patting Jade's shoulder. "Speaking of which, where's the Mrs. anyways?"

Jade poured some of the mix on the pan. "She'll be down soon," she began.

"Ruby Victoria West," was heard from the living room. Jade smirked at the sound of her wife voice attempted scowling voice was heard.

"I'm guessing she's in the living room," Jade chuckled. Beck rolled his eyes knowing Tori would scowl him for giving Ruby the bag of cookies before she'd eaten. "Watch the cakes please," she said handing Beck the bowl before he could think to object. He watched as his once former girlfriend, now best friend, made her way to join her family. He couldn't help but grin to himself as he turned to flip the cake. Who would have ever thought Jade and Tori would end up together?

"Ruby Victoria West are you eating cookies before breakfast?" Tori asked from the doorway of the living room with her hands. Her brows where knitted together in an attempt to look upset.

Ruby was seated on the floor with one hand buried in the bag of cookies and the other holding half a cookie to her mouth. She had her face covered with crumbs and her chin smudged with chocolate. Her stuffed cheeks rose up in a guilty smile as she looked up at her mother with wide doe eyes. She shook her head no as she did her best to hide the bag with one of her hands.

Tori's gaze softened at the girl's adorable attempt clean up. She kneeled before the three year old and couldn't help but smile as she began to clean the giggling girl's face. She had promised to herself long ago to never raise her voice at her own child. She would never inflict that kind of fear in her daughter. She would never raise a hand to her, not like her father had. She was not that person; she was not her father's daughter.

She was Jade's wife; a woman who loved both her daughter and wife dearly . She was a good mother who would never miss any of her daughter's recitals, a wife who cared to try. No, she was not her father's daughter; she was Tori West, a woman with a family that loved her just as much as she loved them.

"Uncoow Beck ga' 'em to me," Ruby explained through a mouth full.

Tori chuckled as she wiped away the crumbs from the girl's cheeks. "You can have your cookies baby, but you have to eat the 'nana cakes your momma made for you first, okay?" Tori gently explained.

"Now what are my two favorite beautiful girls doing?" Jade asked from the doorway.

She had been leaning against the doorway quietly watching the exchange between the two brunettes. She always enjoyed watching how Tori took care of their little girl. She was loving and patient with her. The Tori David had left behind years ago was nowhere to be found in their life now. Not in any way that Tori loved their daughter or gently explained whenever Ruby did something wrong or incorrectly. No, this Tori was only filled with just enough love for their daughter. She was a mother, a wife. She was truly happy.

Ruby looked up with a wide grin. "Momma! Mommy said I could have my cookies," she announced.

"After breakfast," Tori corrected the small brunette as she wiped away the chocolate smeared all around the child's chin.

Jade chuckled as she joined the two. She kissed Tori and wrapped her arms around Ruby carrying her as they rose to their feet. "Let's go eat before your 'nana cakes get cold," Jade grinned hugging Ruby to her. She intertwined her fingers with Tori's as she turned as auburn eyes looked up at adoring azure. "I love you, Tori," Jade whispered as she pressed her lips to Tori's once more.

Tori hummed in response, smiling against Jade's lips. "I love you, Jade," she grinned.

"And Ruby, too!" Ruby giggled as she wriggled in Jade's arms. Jade and Tori laughed as they both kissed Ruby on each cheek at the same time.

"Of course we love you, Ruby," Tori grinned, caressing the little girl's cheek. She caught the blue eyes watching her and blushed with joy. Her heart felt full with pure joy. She couldn't remember a time she'd ever felt nothing but content with her life. She squeezed Jade's hand and lead them to the dining room. Content, that was she was and always would be.

/

I'll never stop trying. I'll never stop watching as you leave

I'll never stop losing my breath every time I see you looking back at me.

And I'll never stop holding your hand. I'll never stop opening your door

I'll never stop choosing you babe I'll never get used to you

You still get my heart racing. You still get my heart racing for you

-Safetysuit, Never Stop

/

AN: Well folks we survived! I'm truly sad to see this story come to an end. It was quite the roller coaster to write, but I definitely enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who stuck through the entire painful story. Who knew a one-shot could turn into a whole twenty-three chapters. ;)

Again thank you guys so much for your support and much love! :]

Let me know what you thought about their ending.

What did you love and hate about the story? What did you think about Ruby? Wasn't she adorable?

What do you say about one final review? ;]